Churchfields Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Churchfields is a happy, inclusive school where everyone is welcome.

There is high ambition for every pupil to 'be the best' they can be. The school is determined for all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve as well as they possibly can. Many parents and carers agree, one comment being typical when they stated, 'Churchfields is a place where young people, despite their SEND needs, can really thrive.'

Pupils rise to these high expectations and fizz with enthusiasm when talking about school and their learning.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Relationships between pupils and adults are built on trust an...d respect.

Pupils are kind and well mannered. They behave well. Children in Nursery quickly learn routines and acceptable behaviours.

This helps them to settle well into school. This is further developed as pupils move through school, creating a calm and orderly atmosphere both in lessons and at playtimes.

Pupils benefit from undertaking a wide range of roles and responsibilities.

These include being school councillors, prefects, sports leaders and eco-warriors. These opportunities empower pupils and help to build their confidence and sense of responsibility. Pupils are proud of the part they play to help make the school even better.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has a coherently designed and ambitious curriculum in place. It has clearly identified the crucial knowledge it wants pupils to learn across subjects from the end of early years and for each year group in key stages 1 and 2. This knowledge builds well over time.

For example, in music, pupils learn about tempo and beat in Year 1. By Year 6, they can identify different tempos, their purpose and their use in major and minor keys.

Teachers focus skilfully on this crucial knowledge in lessons.

They have the skill and expertise to understand when pupils need to focus on more important prior knowledge. Teachers ensure pupils regularly review knowledge they have learned previously in lessons and during 'recap weeks'.

Subject leaders are experts in their area.

They support staff in understanding the delivery of the curriculum. However, in some subjects, they have limited opportunities to check on the delivery of their curriculum and pupils' learning. This means any improvements necessary to the curriculum or its delivery are not identified and made as early as they could be.

Staff deliver the school's phonics programme well. Pupils who struggle to keep up with the expectations of the phonics programme are provided with specific support to address the gaps in their knowledge. Pupils read carefully matched books, which ensures they become fluent readers.

Books are central to the curriculum. For example, they are used as rewards in school. Pupils enjoy following texts read to them on electronic devices.

Reading ambassadors enthusiastically promote the love of reading across school.

Children in the early years get off to a positive start. They develop warm relationships with staff.

Children quickly learn classroom routines and expectations. Staff model language and vocabulary well. In many subjects, the early years is the foundation for all learning.

However, some areas of learning are less well considered and sequenced than others. This means some children in the early years are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they could be.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND early.

It adapts learning and resources well to cater for pupils' various additional needs. A number of pupils have more complex needs. These pupils are particularly well catered for.

The school has effective systems in place to address any attendance concerns. This includes supporting pupils who are persistently absent. Pupils know the school's behaviour systems well.

The school's values of respect, resilience and responsibility underpin all this work. As a result, poor behaviour and bullying are rare.

Overall, the school caters for pupils' personal development well.

It helps pupils develop warm and inclusive attitudes towards those who might be different to them. Pupils say, 'If we take off our skin, we're just the same inside.' Pupils' well-being is well considered through 'bouncebackability' sessions.

For many pupils, trips and visits enrich their learning. Pupils attend a number of clubs. The school council has discussed developing these opportunities to develop talents and interests further.

Staff say that support from the school 'trickles down from all leaders'. They feel well supported in their workload. The trust and local governing committee are effective in their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of learning, the school has not fully considered what children should learn and when in the early years. As a result, there is a lack of clarity about how children build upon their previous learning.

This means children do not learn as well as they could in these areas. The school should ensure that all areas of learning are well considered, sequenced and delivered. ? The evaluation and monitoring of some subjects is not as effective as it could be.

This means the school does not identify as well as it could what is working well and what needs to be improved in these subjects. This impacts on pupils' learning. The school should ensure it has a clear and accurate understanding of where it most needs to focus its support for staff and pupils.

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